Before I get started with this, let me say again that I love what I do. However, I'm often put-off and sometimes entertained by what most people think a writer does all day. Some (like my relatives) think I do nothing at all. In this post, I will be brutally honest and share what my life was like just a few days ago.
Currently, I'm working on editing/polishing a book I plan to release through Amazon at the end of the month. (I feel I need to work quickly on this project, because I never know when my editor might get back to me on my new release with Ellora's Cave.) My goal for the day was to edit 2 chapters and possibly put in some additional description in a few places.
5:30 a.m. - My husband leaves for work. Though I don't hear him, he wakes up our dog, Roscoe (a little black wiener/chahuahua mix) who then proceeds to lick me in the face for 5 minutes while I insist, "No, Roscoe, I don't need any sugar!" In the back of my mind, I know I should get up and get started on the book. But, I'm exhausted. Roscoe and I go back to sleep.
6:00 a.m. - I awake to the sound of a gunshot. Ah, the joys of living in the country during hunting season. While cussing the idiot who fires shots before dawn, I fall back asleep.
9:00 a.m. - Oh, shit! I overslept. Roscoe is asleep under the covers, snoring. I leave him and go into the room across the hall to turn on my computer. While the computer boots up, I start some coffee and get out my notes on the story I'm working on.
9:30 a.m. - I've approved all the posts in my tribe on Triberr, started a load of laundry and still haven't opened my book. So, I open it and scroll to the page where I left off yesterday. I decide it's about damn time I get a cup of coffee.
12:30 p.m. - I've edited about 7 pages, the beds are made and half the laundry is finished. I've also had three cups of coffee and I'm wired. I should take the time now to workout, but I really need to have this book ready by the end of the month. I decide it's time to wake up the dog.
1:30 p.m. - While I eat lunch (heat and eat ramen noodles) I search online for the perfect pictures that I will use to create the cover art. I do this and the rest of the household chores for the next few hours.
3:30 p.m. - My mom drops off my son after picking him up from school. (He spent the night with her.) He is eager to see me, play the Xbox, and get a snack. So much for editing for a while, but at least I found the right pics for the cover art. We proceed to blow shit up (in the game) at a phenominal rate. LOL
6:30 p.m. - After a long, hot shower, I have dinner cooking while I at last get back to my book. Ahhh, Mr. Tall, dark, and sexy is right where I left him. At least some things can always be counted on. The house is surprisingly quiet. My son and dog are both in his room, watching a movie. I actually get to edit a chapter and a half!
8:15 p.m. - My husband is home. This means I won't get another opportunity to write/edit unless I want to piss him off. (Because he thinks he's being ignored) I go in to turn off the computer while everyone else eats dinner.
I've gotten sidetracked by some idiot on Facebook. For some reason he seems to think it's appropriate to discuss my religious beliefs (or what he thinks I believe) in public. After being very pissed off for about 20 minutes, I delete his posts and get on with my life. I really hate assholes.
Now, I scan the book, make a note of the page I'm on and turn the computer off. I did accomplish my goal and clean my house. But somehow I don't feel like I've done much. I go back to face my most hated chore, washing dishes.
While I wash the dishes I wonder if any of my promotional efforts for my latest book have paid off and whether I should try the same techniques for this new book. My mind is buzzing with the possibilities.
Even as I try to sleep a few hours later, all I can think about is what I've done right and what I've potentially done wrong. I am a writer 24/7.
It's not glamorous, but it's who I am. Not all days are this bland, but this is typical. It isn't exciting unless you count reading a great review or seeing that your sales have improved.
I wouldn't trade it for the world.
2 comments:
Sounds eerily familiar! Except I have to actually get up at 530 am to help daughter get her sons ready for school/daycare. And if I'm lucky somewhere along the way, I'll actually get a little nap, since I'm going to be up until after midnight, at least, writing.
I used to think writers had maids to handle the household stuff, nannies for the kids, cause everyone knows authors are rich, right? So they spent their days writing for a couple hours, then meeting agents/editors, then glamorous cocktail parties with celebs. Heh. I wonder how many other people are that far off?
LOL From the comments I get from time to time, you are not alone. I honestly never put much thought into what their lives were like, but before I became one, I DID think writers made more money. HAHAHA
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